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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · staff · last · face · pound · ball · foot · nail

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — to go on
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — to confront
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com